Population 31,262 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in ZIP 02121
Household size in ZIP 02121
| Period | ZIP 02121 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.65 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.77 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.85 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.81 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.16 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The typical household in ZIP 02121 holds 2.81 people, slightly more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has climbed from 2.65 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the west.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in ZIP 02121
| Period | ZIP 02121 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.4 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.3 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.6 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.9 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.5 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
ZIP 02121 is young: half of its residents are under 34.9, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 30.4 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only 33 of the 343 Massachusetts ZIP codes with 5,000+ people are younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in ZIP 02121
| Period | ZIP 02121 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.1% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.4% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 29.0% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 25.4% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −9.7 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about a quarter of households in ZIP 02121 (25.4%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 9.7 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 343 Massachusetts ZIP codes with 5,000+ people, only five have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in ZIP 02121
Renters in ZIP 02121
| Period | ZIP 02121 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 74.6% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 79.7% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 76.6% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 76.6% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in ZIP 02121: 76.6% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 28.7% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 2.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only 12 of the 343 Massachusetts ZIP codes with 5,000+ people have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in ZIP 02121
| Period | ZIP 02121 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.4 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in ZIP 02121 than nationally: 6.8%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The picture is much the same across the Boston area. Vacancy has fallen 8.4 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in ZIP 02121
| Period | ZIP 02121 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1942 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1944 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1950 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in ZIP 02121 is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1950, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1942 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the north.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in ZIP 02121
| Period | ZIP 02121 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $870 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $854 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,018 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,297 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$427 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in ZIP 02121 runs $1,297 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $427 a month from 2006–10, a 49% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 36.2% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in ZIP 02121
Bachelor's degrees in ZIP 02121
| Period | ZIP 02121 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.0% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.3% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in ZIP 02121 have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.3%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 5.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of the 343 Massachusetts ZIP codes with 5,000+ people, only 17 have a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in ZIP 02121
| Period | ZIP 02121 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.0% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 75.6% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.1% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 75.9% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly a quarter of adults in ZIP 02121 never finished high school, well above the national share: only 75.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Only 11 of the 343 Massachusetts ZIP codes with 5,000+ people have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in ZIP 02121
| Period | ZIP 02121 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.2% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 23.4% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.6 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in ZIP 02121: 10.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Only six of the 343 Massachusetts ZIP codes with 5,000+ people have higher unemployment. Unemployment is down 10.6 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
ZIP 02121 compared with nearby ZIP codes
| ZIP code | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZIP 02121 | 2.81 | 34.9 | 25.4% | 76.6% | 6.8% | 1950 | $1,297 | 20.3% | 75.9% | 10.7% |
| ZIP 02119 | 2.37 | 37.1 | 15.8% | 70.6% | 8.9% | 1966 | $1,519 | 29.9% | 81.7% | 7.4% |
| ZIP 02125 | 2.32 | 34.7 | 13.8% | 65.7% | 7.5% | 1955 | $2,040 | 44.5% | 86.0% | 7.2% |
| ZIP 02122 | 2.62 | 40.3 | 17.0% | 55.5% | 8.3% | 1944 | $2,220 | 37.1% | 79.1% | 8.6% |
| ZIP 02124 | 2.81 | 37.7 | 24.1% | 58.0% | 5.9% | 1948 | $1,772 | 32.2% | 83.5% | 9.3% |
| ZIP 02130 | 2.23 | 36.6 | 6.9% | 56.8% | 5.3% | 1952 | $2,430 | 71.5% | 92.1% | 3.7% |
| ZIP 02120 | 2.59 | 25.6 | 12.7% | 90.6% | 9.5% | 1969 | $1,748 | 49.4% | 81.3% | 10.6% |
| ZIP 02126 | 2.93 | 39.5 | 21.8% | 54.0% | 6.4% | 1953 | $1,720 | 24.3% | 87.2% | 11.0% |
| ZIP 02118 | 1.93 | 37.4 | 7.8% | 68.9% | 9.7% | 1961 | $2,145 | 61.8% | 88.4% | 6.4% |
| ZIP 02115 | 1.75 | 26.0 | 9.0% | 85.4% | 17.4% | 1958 | $1,883 | 60.7% | 89.6% | 9.2% |
| ZIP 02127 | 2.04 | 33.7 | 8.2% | 54.7% | 8.1% | 1962 | $2,814 | 68.8% | 95.9% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Zip codes with similar populations: 32086, FL · 08822, NJ · 32539, FL · 91214, CA · 11050, NY · 45005, OH · 06811, CT · 08003, NJ · 48234, MI · 17022, PA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up ZIP 02121. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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